vinayakkulkarni · May 26, 2018 16:27 · Sep 22, 2016 · Sep 22, 2016 · Sep 22, 2016 · Feb 13, 2016
diff --git a/fix-homebrew-npm.md b/fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ This solution fixes the error caused by trying to run `npm update npm -g`. Once
 
 Before you start, make a note of any globally installed npm packages. These instructions will have you remove all of those packages. After you're finished you'll need to re-install them.
 
-Run the following commands to remove all existing global npm modules, uninstall node & npm, re-install node with the right defaults, install npm as its own pacakge, and configure the location for global npm modules to be installed.
+Run the following commands to remove all existing global npm modules, uninstall node & npm, re-install node with the correct defaults, configure the location for global npm modules to be installed, and then install npm as its own pacakge.
 
 ```bash
 rm -rf /usr/local/lib/node_modules
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ echo prefix=~/.npm-packages >> ~/.npmrc
 curl -L https://www.npmjs.com/install.sh | sh
 ```
 
-Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.npm-packages/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable. To do this, add the following line to your `~/.bash_profile`:
+Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.npm-packages/bin` to your `PATH` so npm and global npm packages are usable. To do this, add the following line to your `~/.bash_profile`:
 
 ```bash
 export PATH="$HOME/.npm-packages/bin:$PATH"

diff --git a/fix-homebrew-npm.md b/fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ echo prefix=~/.npm-packages >> ~/.npmrc
 curl -L https://www.npmjs.com/install.sh | sh
 ```
 
-Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.node/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable. I added this line to my `~/.path` script, which gets run via `~/.bash_profile`.
+Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.npm-packages/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable. To do this, add the following line to your `~/.bash_profile`:
 
 ```bash
 export PATH="$HOME/.npm-packages/bin:$PATH"

diff --git a/fix-homebrew-npm.md b/fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ curl -L https://www.npmjs.com/install.sh | sh
 Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.node/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable. I added this line to my `~/.path` script, which gets run via `~/.bash_profile`.
 
 ```bash
-export PATH="$HOME/.node/bin:$PATH"
+export PATH="$HOME/.npm-packages/bin:$PATH"
 ```
 
 Now you can re-install any global npm packages you need without any problems.

diff --git a/fix-homebrew-npm.md b/fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -1,6 +1,30 @@
 # Fixing npm On Mac OS X for Homebrew Users
 
-If you just want to fix the issue quickly, scroll down to the "solution" section below.
+Installing node through Homebrew can cause problems with npm for globally installed packages. To fix it quickly, use the solution below. An explanation is also included at the end of this document.
+
+## Solution
+
+This solution fixes the error caused by trying to run `npm update npm -g`. Once you're finished, you also won't need to use `sudo` to install npm modules globally.
+
+Before you start, make a note of any globally installed npm packages. These instructions will have you remove all of those packages. After you're finished you'll need to re-install them.
+
+Run the following commands to remove all existing global npm modules, uninstall node & npm, re-install node with the right defaults, install npm as its own pacakge, and configure the location for global npm modules to be installed.
+
+```bash
+rm -rf /usr/local/lib/node_modules
+brew uninstall node
+brew install node --without-npm
+echo prefix=~/.npm-packages >> ~/.npmrc
+curl -L https://www.npmjs.com/install.sh | sh
+```
+
+Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.node/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable. I added this line to my `~/.path` script, which gets run via `~/.bash_profile`.
+
+```bash
+export PATH="$HOME/.node/bin:$PATH"
+```
+
+Now you can re-install any global npm packages you need without any problems.
 
 ## Explanation of the issue
 
@@ -40,30 +64,3 @@ There's an [NPM bug for this exact problem](https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/37
 
 Also, using the Homebrew installation of `npm` will require you to use `sudo` when installing global packages. Since one of the core ideas behind Homebrew is that apps can be installed without giving them root access, this is a bad idea.
 
-## Solution
-
-This solution fixes the error caused by trying to run `npm update npm -g`. Once you're finished, you also won't need to use `sudo` to install npm modules globally.
-
-Before you start, make a note of any globally installed npm packages. These instructions will have you remove all of those packages. After you're finished you'll need to re-install them.
-
-Run the following commands to remove all existing global npm modules, uninstall node & npm, re-install node with the right defaults, install npm as its own pacakge, and configure the location for global npm modules to be installed.
-
-```bash
-rm -rf /usr/local/lib/node_modules
-brew uninstall node
-brew install node --without-npm
-echo prefix=~/.node >> ~/.npmrc
-curl -L https://www.npmjs.com/install.sh | sh
-```
-
-Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.node/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable. I added this line to my `~/.path` script, which gets run via `~/.bash_profile`.
-
-```bash
-export PATH="$HOME/.node/bin:$PATH"
-```
-
-Now you can re-install any global packages with the command below, replacing the npm modules with whatever global packages you need.
-
-```bash
-npm install -g http-server node-inspector forever nodemon
-```
diff --git a/fix-homebrew-npm.md b/fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ If you just want to fix the issue quickly, scroll down to the "solution" section
 
 ## Explanation of the issue
 
-If you're a Mac Homebrew user and you installed node via Homebrew, there is a major philosophical issue with the way Homebrew and NPM work together. If you install node with Homebrew and then try to do `npm update npm -g`, you will see an error like this:
+If you're a Homebrew user and you installed node via Homebrew, there is a major philosophical issue with the way Homebrew and NPM work together. If you install node with Homebrew and then try to do `npm update npm -g`, you may see an error like this:
 
 ```
 $ npm update npm -g
@@ -36,20 +36,24 @@ npm ERR! not ok code 0
 
 ```
 
-There's an [NPM bug open for this exact problem](https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/3794) and a long thread that is still actively being debated, but the summary is that `npm` is its own package manager and it is therefore better to have `npm` manage itself and its packages instead of letting Homebrew do it. Also, using the Homebrew version of `npm` requires `sudo` to install global packages. That's also a very bad idea.
+There's an [NPM bug for this exact problem](https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/3794). The bug has been "fixed" by Homebrew installing npm in a way that allows it to manage itself once the install is complete. However, this is error-prone and still seems to cause problems for some people. The root of the the issue is really that `npm` is its own package manager and it is therefore better to have `npm` manage itself and its packages completely on its own instead of letting Homebrew do it. 
+
+Also, using the Homebrew installation of `npm` will require you to use `sudo` when installing global packages. Since one of the core ideas behind Homebrew is that apps can be installed without giving them root access, this is a bad idea.
 
 ## Solution
 
 This solution fixes the error caused by trying to run `npm update npm -g`. Once you're finished, you also won't need to use `sudo` to install npm modules globally.
 
+Before you start, make a note of any globally installed npm packages. These instructions will have you remove all of those packages. After you're finished you'll need to re-install them.
+
 Run the following commands to remove all existing global npm modules, uninstall node & npm, re-install node with the right defaults, install npm as its own pacakge, and configure the location for global npm modules to be installed.
 
 ```bash
 rm -rf /usr/local/lib/node_modules
 brew uninstall node
 brew install node --without-npm
 echo prefix=~/.node >> ~/.npmrc
-curl -L https://www.npmjs.org/install.sh | sh
+curl -L https://www.npmjs.com/install.sh | sh
 ```
 
 Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.node/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable. I added this line to my `~/.path` script, which gets run via `~/.bash_profile`.
@@ -58,8 +62,8 @@ Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to a
 export PATH="$HOME/.node/bin:$PATH"
 ```
 
-You'll need to re-install your global node modules again. As an example, a few I use are:
+Now you can re-install any global packages with the command below, replacing the npm modules with whatever global packages you need.
 
 ```bash
-npm install -g grunt-cli http-server uglify-js jshint yo node-inspector forever nodemon
+npm install -g http-server node-inspector forever nodemon
 ```
diff --git a/fix-homebrew-npm.md b/fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ If you just want to fix the issue quickly, scroll down to the "solution" section
 
 ## Explanation of the issue
 
-If you're a Mac Homebrew user and you installed node via Homebrew, there is a major philosophical issue with the way Homebrew and NPM work together. If you install node with Homebrew try to do `npm update npm -g`, you will see error like this:
+If you're a Mac Homebrew user and you installed node via Homebrew, there is a major philosophical issue with the way Homebrew and NPM work together. If you install node with Homebrew and then try to do `npm update npm -g`, you will see an error like this:
 
 ```
 $ npm update npm -g
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ echo prefix=~/.node >> ~/.npmrc
 curl -L https://www.npmjs.org/install.sh | sh
 ```
 
-Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.node/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable. I added this line to my `~/.path` script, which gets called via `~/.bash_profile`. If you want to see a full example you can check out [my dotfiles repo on github](https://github.com/DanHerbert/dotfiles).
+Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.node/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable. I added this line to my `~/.path` script, which gets run via `~/.bash_profile`.
 
 ```bash
 export PATH="$HOME/.node/bin:$PATH"

diff --git a/fix-homebrew-npm.md b/fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -61,5 +61,5 @@ export PATH="$HOME/.node/bin:$PATH"
 You'll need to re-install your global node modules again. As an example, a few I use are:
 
 ```bash
-npm install -g grunt-cli http-server uglify-js jshint yo nodemon
+npm install -g grunt-cli http-server uglify-js jshint yo node-inspector forever nodemon
 ```
diff --git a/fix-homebrew-npm.md b/fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # Fixing npm On Mac OS X for Homebrew Users
 
+If you just want to fix the issue quickly, scroll down to the "solution" section below.
+
 ## Explanation of the issue
 
 If you're a Mac Homebrew user and you installed node via Homebrew, there is a major philosophical issue with the way Homebrew and NPM work together. If you install node with Homebrew try to do `npm update npm -g`, you will see error like this:
@@ -56,8 +58,8 @@ Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to a
 export PATH="$HOME/.node/bin:$PATH"
 ```
 
-Now you should re-install any global node packages again. As an example, these are the ones I know I'll use:
+You'll need to re-install your global node modules again. As an example, a few I use are:
 
 ```bash
-npm install -g grunt-cli http-server uglify-js jshint bower yo nodemon
+npm install -g grunt-cli http-server uglify-js jshint yo nodemon
 ```
diff --git a/fix-homebrew-npm.md b/fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -40,15 +40,10 @@ There's an [NPM bug open for this exact problem](https://github.com/npm/npm/issu
 
 This solution fixes the error caused by trying to run `npm update npm -g`. Once you're finished, you also won't need to use `sudo` to install npm modules globally.
 
-First, remove globally installed node modules. This step may not be necessary, but I do it to ensure my machine is clean before continuing. **This step will be very specific to your setup. I've provided the one I ran as an example only.** All other steps are completely copy/paste verbatim after this one.
-
-```bash
-sudo npm uninstall -g grunt-cli yo uglify-js nodemon jshint http-server bower
-```
-
-Next, run the following commands to remove node, re-install it with the right defaults, install npm as its own module, and configure the location for global npm modules to go.
+Run the following commands to remove all existing global npm modules, uninstall node & npm, re-install node with the right defaults, install npm as its own pacakge, and configure the location for global npm modules to be installed.
 
 ```bash
+rm -rf /usr/local/lib/node_modules
 brew uninstall node
 brew install node --without-npm
 echo prefix=~/.node >> ~/.npmrc

diff --git a/fix-homebrew-npm.md b/fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ echo prefix=~/.node >> ~/.npmrc
 curl -L https://www.npmjs.org/install.sh | sh
 ```
 
-Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.node/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable. I added this line to my `~/.path`, which gets called via `~/.bash_profile`. If you want to see a full example you can check out [my dotfiles repo on github](https://github.com/DanHerbert/dotfiles).
+Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.node/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable. I added this line to my `~/.path` script, which gets called via `~/.bash_profile`. If you want to see a full example you can check out [my dotfiles repo on github](https://github.com/DanHerbert/dotfiles).
 
 ```bash
 export PATH="$HOME/.node/bin:$PATH"

diff --git a/fix-homebrew-npm.md b/fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ echo prefix=~/.node >> ~/.npmrc
 curl -L https://www.npmjs.org/install.sh | sh
 ```
 
-Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.node/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable.
+Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.node/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable. I added this line to my `~/.path`, which gets called via `~/.bash_profile`. If you want to see a full example you can check out [my dotfiles repo on github](https://github.com/DanHerbert/dotfiles).
 
 ```bash
 export PATH="$HOME/.node/bin:$PATH"

diff --git a/fix-homebrew-npm.md b/fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-# Fixing npm On Mac OS X for Homebrew USers
+# Fixing npm On Mac OS X for Homebrew Users
+
 ## Explanation of the issue
 
 If you're a Mac Homebrew user and you installed node via Homebrew, there is a major philosophical issue with the way Homebrew and NPM work together. If you install node with Homebrew try to do `npm update npm -g`, you will see error like this:

diff --git a/instructions.md → fix-homebrew-npm.md b/instructions.md → fix-homebrew-npm.md
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# Fixing npm On Mac OS X for Homebrew USers
 ## Explanation of the issue
 
 If you're a Mac Homebrew user and you installed node via Homebrew, there is a major philosophical issue with the way Homebrew and NPM work together. If you install node with Homebrew try to do `npm update npm -g`, you will see error like this:

diff --git a/instructions.md b/instructions.md
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+## Explanation of the issue
+
+If you're a Mac Homebrew user and you installed node via Homebrew, there is a major philosophical issue with the way Homebrew and NPM work together. If you install node with Homebrew try to do `npm update npm -g`, you will see error like this:
+
+```
+$ npm update npm -g
+npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/npm
+npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/npm
+npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/npm/1.4.4
+npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/npm/1.4.4
+npm ERR! error rolling back Error: Refusing to delete: /usr/local/bin/npm not in /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm
+npm ERR! error rolling back     at clobberFail (/usr/local/Cellar/node/0.10.26/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/gently-rm.js:57:12)
+npm ERR! error rolling back     at next (/usr/local/Cellar/node/0.10.26/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/gently-rm.js:43:14)
+npm ERR! error rolling back     at /usr/local/Cellar/node/0.10.26/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/gently-rm.js:52:12
+npm ERR! error rolling back     at Object.oncomplete (fs.js:107:15)
+npm ERR! error rolling back  [email protected] { [Error: Refusing to delete: /usr/local/bin/npm not in /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm] code: 'EEXIST', path: '/usr/local/bin/npm' }
+npm ERR! Refusing to delete: /usr/local/bin/npm not in /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm
+File exists: /usr/local/bin/npm
+Move it away, and try again. 
+
+npm ERR! System Darwin 13.1.0
+npm ERR! command "/usr/local/Cellar/node/0.10.26/bin/node" "/usr/local/bin/npm" "update" "npm" "-g"
+npm ERR! cwd /Users/dan/Google Drive/Projects/dotfiles
+npm ERR! node -v v0.10.26
+npm ERR! npm -v 1.4.3
+npm ERR! path /usr/local/bin/npm
+npm ERR! code EEXIST
+npm ERR! 
+npm ERR! Additional logging details can be found in:
+npm ERR!     /Users/dan/Google Drive/Projects/dotfiles/npm-debug.log
+npm ERR! not ok code 0
+
+```
+
+There's an [NPM bug open for this exact problem](https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/3794) and a long thread that is still actively being debated, but the summary is that `npm` is its own package manager and it is therefore better to have `npm` manage itself and its packages instead of letting Homebrew do it. Also, using the Homebrew version of `npm` requires `sudo` to install global packages. That's also a very bad idea.
+
+## Solution
+
+This solution fixes the error caused by trying to run `npm update npm -g`. Once you're finished, you also won't need to use `sudo` to install npm modules globally.
+
+First, remove globally installed node modules. This step may not be necessary, but I do it to ensure my machine is clean before continuing. **This step will be very specific to your setup. I've provided the one I ran as an example only.** All other steps are completely copy/paste verbatim after this one.
+
+```bash
+sudo npm uninstall -g grunt-cli yo uglify-js nodemon jshint http-server bower
+```
+
+Next, run the following commands to remove node, re-install it with the right defaults, install npm as its own module, and configure the location for global npm modules to go.
+
+```bash
+brew uninstall node
+brew install node --without-npm
+echo prefix=~/.node >> ~/.npmrc
+curl -L https://www.npmjs.org/install.sh | sh
+```
+
+Node and npm should be correctly installed at this point. The final step is to add `~/.node/bin` to your `PATH` so commands you install globally are usable.
+
+```bash
+export PATH="$HOME/.node/bin:$PATH"
+```
+
+Now you should re-install any global node packages again. As an example, these are the ones I know I'll use:
+
+```bash
+npm install -g grunt-cli http-server uglify-js jshint bower yo nodemon
+```